My 2 Cents about Houston / Galveston Ports

[Titanfan22]

Will be taking my third and maybe final cruise out of the Galveston / Houston ports (2 Princess - 1 Carnival). Flying in from the upper Midwest (too far to drive). Airline prices are 30-40 percent less than the other departure ports. I enjoy the area, but shuttle / transportation is a hassle. Will come in a day early but do not want to stay at the airport hotel overnight to catch the next day shuttle. Would like to get to the port areas to relax, eat, shop, and nose around and spend some money!

 

If the local tourism people and the cruise lines would work harder with the rental car companies I think they could provide a more convenient option. I would like to rent a car and drop it off the next morning. First cruise Princess cruise (Saturday departure) worked great. Dropped off Saturday morning in Seabrook courtesy shuttle to port. Second Carnival (Sunday departure), arrived Saturday 9am, rented car had to drop off by 2 pm same day at Sears in Texas City (fortunately hotel next door). Seemed like a waste but allowed us to shop a little and with 4 people cheaper.

 

Easy solution would be to have rental car with Saturday and Sunday morning drop off near these ports. If advertised and promoted, I can't see how this would not make both of these ports more desirable. I'm currently trying to find an option for my January Princess cruise (Sunday departure). Staying at Best Western with port shuttle so airport shuttle may be only option but I would rather have wheels to check things out.

 

Sorry for the blurb.... Those that know the area and the system better might know how to figure this out better, but for people new to these ports it may not be worth it. Has this been discussed before? Am I missing something?

[Texas Tillie]

Since all the cruise lines are pulling out of the Bayport cruise port after April, your suggestion applies to just Galveston. Since the rental agencies are franchise operations, I think the problem is it's just not economical for them to stay open longer hours. As long as the majority of passengers using Galveston come by private car and the bookings remain high, I don't see any change.

Edited November 21, 2015 by Texas Tillie

[Titanfan22]

Why are they pulling out of Bayport, the terminal is nice. Is the navigation that much worse than Galveston?

[Texas Tillie]

Why are they pulling out of Bayport, the terminal is nice. Is the navigation that much worse than Galveston?

 

Takes too long to get to the open Gulf. The port authority built the terminal with the "if we build it, they will come" attitude. It didn't work out. They paid big bucks to get NCL and Princess to use it. When the contracts expired, the cruise lines said, no thanks, we aren't making enough money to continue. So, it will be a vacant building again as it was in the beginning. The tax payers are on the line for the bonds used to build it. Needless to say, those who live in the applicable taxing authority aren't happy campers! :eek:

[Starry Eyes]

I live elsewhere, but I love Texas. I have loved cruising from Texas, both Bayport and Galveston. I agree that ground transit has been an issue. Sad to see 'NCL and Princess leave Bayport, but one can understand if it is not sufficiently profitable. Overall, the prices for cruises out of Texas have been great bargains many times when compared to the same weeks from FL. Perhaps prices will rise as NCL and Princess pull out....maybe someday the prices and demand will rise enough to draw another company back into the market.

[WWbytheSEA]

Great post -- So inconvenient- So I am coming into IAH with wife and 2 late teen age sons on 12/25. We are staying at Marriot IAH on x-mas night. The next day, I am renting a car from National and driving to Galveston. Staying at Hilton on the 26th and then cruising out on Sunday 27th. This sounds dumb, but after looking at shuttle options, one way rentals drop offs, cabs, etc. I'm just going to leave the rental at the hotel while we cruise. Oh almost forgot, we are staying post cruise another day in Galveston Hilton before traveling back to IAH. It's expensive but only 60 bucks more than the other options I mentioned and the convenience factor outweighs that. As long as you don't have to pay for parking the rental while on the cruise the price is close. I am also Executive at National so I can pick a larger SUV and not pay what others would.

 

We should start a business to rent out idle cars while people are on their cruises.

[Starry Eyes]

Great post -- So inconvenient- So I am coming into IAH with wife and 2 late teen age sons on 12/25. We are staying at Marriot IAH on x-mas night. The next day, I am renting a car from National and driving to Galveston. Staying at Hilton on the 26th and then cruising out on Sunday 27th. This sounds dumb, but after looking at shuttle options, one way rentals drop offs, cabs, etc. I'm just going to leave the rental at the hotel while we cruise. Oh almost forgot, we are staying post cruise another day in Galveston Hilton before traveling back to IAH. It's expensive but only 60 bucks more than the other options I mentioned and the convenience factor outweighs that. As long as you don't have to pay for parking the rental while on the cruise the price is close. I am also Executive at National so I can pick a larger SUV and not pay what others would.

 

We should start a business to rent out idle cars while people are on their cruises.

 

Keeping the rental car while on a one week cruise seems to be a common solution. Especially for party of four (or more) flying from IAH for a Galveston cruise. Galveston parking seems affordable and easily available. Rental rates from airports can be reasonable, too. solos, couples and those on multi week cruises may find shuttles to be less expensive.

[PenguinLife]

While you are in Galveston I suggest checking out Moody Gardens, it is very under advertised, mostly indoors (aquarium pyramid, tropical rainforest pyramid, Imax movie, also beach area and 30-45 minute long paddle wheel river boat ride), but they do decorate for christmas (google moody gardens festival of lights). Tickets are around $60 per person for all access, but you can buy limited tickets for just the aquarium or rainforest for less. If weather is nice it is easy to spend 4 or 5 hours there and still not see everything.

Edited November 22, 2015 by PenguinLife

[Galveston Cruiser]

Having unlimited rental cars is an idea plan; but has no practicality.

OP seem to forget the cost of purchasing, insuring and maintaining a fleet of automobiles. Not even to mention that most offices are franchises and not corporate owned and operated.

 

It would be a financial and logistic nightmare for any rental operator to even consider such a plan and the City/Port/cruise lines have no input in private enterprise. Galveston, with a population of 48- 50,000 cannot support such a business.

 

It would be economically unfeasible to, say, have 200 vehicles sit on a lot during the week earning nothing. How would the vehicles return to the proper owner/franchise when dropped off at various locations? Who would even consider investing a huge amount of money to rent cars over 1-3 days, then sit idle the rest of the week?

 

I realize OP are looking for cheap transportation, but that is not possible here (and many other places).

Whenever we travel, the cost of ground transportation is always factored into the overall cost. Some places are inexpensive, others very expensive.

 

I just consider it the cost of traveling and not complain. If I can go on a cruise, I can afford ground transportation.

[Titanfan22]

GC, as the OP I would like to address your comments. I'm not in the car rental business, but in a city the size of Houston, logic tells me (taking the cruise lines out of play) that their highest demand is probably business for the week and some Galveston beach goers. That being said, seems like bringing thousands of people to Galveston and thousands to Bayport every weekend would offer a great opportunity to keep those cars busy. Some dropping off to go on their cruise some maybe picking up coming off their cruise. Going back to the airport. I know enterprise in Seabrook is open Saturday until noon or 2pm I think and Budget in Texas City until 2pm. My simple suggestion would be to have those 2 people working at each site work Sunday which would help the problem. The easier thing for me would be if all of the ships left on Saturday. Lol

 

In addition, I didn't say anything about saving money, I mentioned the desire to have wheels until the day my boat leaves. If your local tourism people are doing their job, they should encourage feedback so they can partner with the businesses and community they represent to increase tourism dollars. I'm spending much more money when I'm not sitting in my hotel room.

[Titanfan22]

Thanks again for all who provided input and taking your valuable time to help. FYI, over the last couple of days I did find a solution for my Bayport issue. I'm able to rent from Budget at Hobby Saturday morning. I will use the car all day and early the next morning to visit Kemah, shop, and whatever else. On Sunday, the Budget office opens at 10am for drop off in Pasadena. They will then provide a shuttle for $40 total for up to 4 people to the cruise terminal. Kudos for their effort to identify and provide a service that many people would use if they were aware of it. This allows me to drop the car off on departure day and just jump on the Princess shuttle when we get back..

[Galveston Cruiser]

Enterprise is open on weekends on the phone island until noon on Saturday. Not sure of closing time for n Sunday. At one time they accepted drop-offs with a charge. Don't n't know current policy.

It is still a matter of supply & demand. I am sure the rental business researched, but found Galveston not to fit their economics. Hertz was on the island; never re-opening after Ike.

Yes, I would like to see the agencies here. Apparently they chosen to not pursue the business. The offices in Texas City do not stock vehicles, but transport back and forth by reservation only.

[ssb]

If economics is feasibly present , the prudent business man with proper due diligence performed would be here.

[PenguinLife]

I suspect much of the reason they do not have a location on Galveston is fear of loss of their fleet from hurricanes, many car rental operations are rather low budget other than purchase cost of their rental fleet, they often operate out of small offices in low rent areas with the exception of airport kiosks.

[Galveston Cruiser]

If hurricanes were the reason, Florida would have no rental cars.

It is purely economics. They go where there is business - 7 days a week.

Car rental operations are far from low budget; very costly with profit margins very thin.

[Starry Eyes]

If hurricanes were the reason, Florida would have no rental cars.

It is purely economics. They go where there is business - 7 days a week.

Car rental operations are far from low budget; very costly with profit margins very thin.

 

Speaking of Florida, multiple rental car agencies in Cape Canaveral do brisk business, and many of those renting and returning cars are cruisers with one way rentals between island and airport. It works there and that island seems to have less available land than Galveston Island.

 

Maybe a smart, prudent business person has carefully evaluated the economics in Galveston. I certainly do not know. Does ssb know a business person who has performed such due diligence? Or is he just musing that somebody might have done it?

[ssb]

Speaking of Florida, multiple rental car agencies in Cape Canaveral do brisk business, and many of those renting and returning cars are cruisers with one way rentals between island and airport. It works there and that island seems to have less available land than Galveston Island.

 

Maybe a smart, prudent business person has carefully evaluated the economics in Galveston. I certainly do not know. Does ssb know a business person who has performed such due diligence? Or is he just musing that somebody might have done it?

 

I know that it has been done !

An economic evaluation though is only as valid as the day it's performed with known facts and information. Therefore as the port continues to improve , the facts change.

There is expansion of terminal # 2 and will be a new terminal #3. And with more cruise lines and/or newer and bigger ships, there will be better economics.

 

Improving Galveston and Location of Galvestion and Time is on our side to have better transportations.

Edited November 23, 2015 by ssb